"He was one of the best athletes in the country," said his brother Richard Zerbe, 81, of Jerry, a 1947 Flint Central graduate who played football, basketball and ran cross country and joined the Air Force in 1953 during the Korean War. "He got a scholarship to Michigan State for cross country."

"His main thing was he had to go in and turn off the lights in the gym," chuckled Richard, who had shared a competitive rivalry with his brother Jerry. "If he could do it, so could I."

Richard said with an uncle who was a pilot, living less than a mile from Bishop International Airport and building model airplanes together "We were just born with it in our blood." Jerry had certifications in flying 17 different aircraft after receiving his aviation license in 1947, with Richard right behind him at 16.

Joe Zerbe, Jerry's son, said his father had an adventurous spirit at heart that includes fishing and hunting for big game.

"They would hitch rides to go up to the moose (in Canada)," he said, as well as rounding up a group of eight or nine pilots to take hunting and fishing trips. While competition drove Jerry, Joe said new members in the Experimental Aviation Association Chapter 77 were put to work by Jerry and accepted as part of the club.

Joe mentioned his father "never had a day he got up and was down." David Detman, president of the EAA chapter, echoed Joe's take on Jerry's attitude.

"He was the kindest guy I've ever met," he said of Jerry, who trained between 400 and 500 students during his more than five decades as an instructor. "He was a great guy. He was a great aviation educator. He taught a lot of mentors how to fly."

Dan Cade, a retired Flint community schools director, said Jerry served as the first community school director at Flint Southwestern in 1958, holding the position until moving onto becoming a liaison between Flint schools and the C.S. Mott Foundation four years later.

Cade recalled when the pair walked through Flint Southwestern early on in their educational careers, Jerry stopped and told him "Don't forget they built this for the kids. Make it your passion to work for the kids."

"He was the champion of the we can do this spirit," said Cade, noting Jerry also helped in championing the Flint Olympian and CANUSA Games. Mary Stewart, Jerry's daughter, said her father also spearheaded creation of the Northern Michigan Food Bank.

His heart was never far from Dalton Airport, with Stewart noting Jerry and wife Kathleen celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary earlier this year inside an office space at the hangar where Sunday's memorial service took place.

Mary said her father helped increase the profile of Dalton Airport by recruiting people to the hangars to develop the property and store their planes, with Jerry having several aircraft stored on the grounds.

Six planes and two helicopters paid tribute during the memorial service to Jerry and Bryce Frownfelter with a flyover, including two planes performing the "missing man" formation.

"None of this would have existed has it not been for his determination," she said. Joe said it was important for the family to hold the event as he spoke with his father previously about what should happen upon Jerry's passing.

"He told me when I die, there ought to be a celebration," said Joe. "I've led a good life."